


Protect At All Cost

by SapphirePearl1718



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Danny "Danno" Williams, Case Fic, First Kiss, First Meetings, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mystery, Romance, Supernatural - Freeform, vampire Kono Kalakaua, werewolf Chin Ho Kelly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29017383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphirePearl1718/pseuds/SapphirePearl1718
Summary: Danny Williams moves to Hawaii after the passing of his wife with his daughter.  He hopes for a fresh start and as far away from magic as possible.  But after joining a new task force, not all is it seems as a case pops up that has Danny on edge.  A great darkness approaches, threatening to swallow up all that was good.
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Comments: 35
Kudos: 85





	1. New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it took so long to start this post. Life got in the way. I hope everyone enjoys the beginning of this story. This is part 1 and I have at least a sequel in the works. Please leave any questions, comments, and kudos. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

The world is filled with all kinds of things. Good people, bad people, beautiful scenery, unpredictable weather, love and grief. The mysteries of life that always elude the truth to everyone.

But for Danny Williams, there is a secret side to the world that a very small percentage knew about. Deadly creatures that lurk in the dark as well as in the sunlight. 

Danny knew a very good amount of knowledge about this magical world that normal people find entertaining. He was a sorcerer after all. A very good practitioner in the defensive magic as well as offensive magic. Spells were easy to learn, potions...not so much. He used to enjoy this part of his life.

That was the key word. Used to. Not after what happened to his lovely wife Rachel. When she…

He shook his head and shoved those thoughts away as the plane he was riding in began its descent into his new home. He gave up that side of his life for good over a year ago. He didn't want anything to do with that side of himself any more. 

Of course he had to make an appearance to the local council on the Island of Oahu. After that, he was done. He is giving it up.

"Danno, are we there yet?" A small child's voice asked next to him.

He turned his gaze from the window and looked at his beautiful daughter, Grace. She was only 8 years old but she had already been through so much. She took it well but Danny worried how she will be in the long run.

"Almost, Monkey. Isn't this great? We'll be living on an island."

She nodded, bouncing slightly in her seat. "Uh huh. I can't wait to go to the beach."

He bit back the response of saying how much he hated the ocean, but he took a deep breath and smiled. “That will be fun, babe.”

A few minutes later, the wheels touched down on the tarmac and at the gate. Danny grabbed their carry-ons and grabbed Grace’s hand to keep her close. They disembarked and gathered all of their checked luggage before finding a rental car. 

They were on the road 45 minutes after landing in Hawaii. Danny had already bought a small three bedroom house from the life insurance money and the money from selling the house in New Jersey. He was glad it didn’t take long to get there because he was exhausted. Unfortunately, he still had things to do before he could rest. He was expecting some basic furniture to be delivered today and he needed to get those things together. He needed to run to the grocery store and get some food then that evening he needed to look presentable for the council.

If he didn’t show up and present himself, he could be subjected to a trial with the national council and a severe punishment could be given. It was in his best interest to arrive on time and dressed appropriately.

Grace bounded through their new home with a burst of energy that made Danny’s heart swell. Ever since she lost her mother, Grace had been shut down and clinging to Danny as much as possible. Seeing her coming out of her shell only seems to prove that moving 5,000 miles to start a new life was worth it.

He unloaded all of the bags into the living room while he let his daughter explore the house. He could hear her little feet running around and small squeals of delight were heard occasionally. 

“Danno, come look at the backyard.” Grace yelled from the kitchen where the backdoor was. Shaking his head in amusement, he walked to the door to be shown the yard.

~S~

The moon was set high that night, casting long shadows across the ground. The buildings seemed to loom over anyone who seemed to be walking down the streets this late at night. Danny ignored it, long used to the odd times and casted shadows after so many years as a practitioner. He found the building he needed easily enough.

The place that the council presided in was a historical Hawaiian building. Made up of palm wood and clay tiles for the roof, the light tropical structure was warm and inviting. The sign read suit and dress rental company. Danny knew better than to believe that’s what this store really was. He knew before he set foot inside that the prices would be way too high for any sane person to purchase and the clothes were way out of date. This was a normal trick in the magical world to keep most people away that didn’t know what its true purpose was.

Danny walked in, Grace next to him since he didn’t know anyone here and he didn’t trust babysitting websites. So, she got to come, which wasn’t unusual, just not a common practice. She would just have to wait outside with a practitioner guard watching her.

A young man was sitting behind the counter, several books laid out in front of him. He seemed to be deep in concentration, but Danny could sense that the young man was well aware of their presence and was taking measures in case of trouble. The man was lanky, very tan, short black hair, clean shaven and wore jeans with a blue t-shirt. He looked up when they approached.

“Hi, I’m here to see the head manager of this place. I’m Danny Williams and I’m here to give a proposal of a sale going on.” He hated that he had to speak in a silly code, but one never knew who could be listening or watching.

The man nodded and dialed a number on the landline phone. He repeated what Danny had said, waited a few seconds, then hung up. “They’re waiting for you, Mr. Williams. She can stay in here with me. I got some coloring sheets if you want one.” He said sweetly to Grace.

She grinned and nodded. Danny made sure she was settled with the crayons and sheets before following the man’s instructions by going through the back hallway to the end and following a set of stairs to a door. He knocked a few times before entering.

He walked to the center of the room, bowed and waited to be addressed. The room was cold with brick forming the walls and a concrete floor with a large lime green rug covering it. Around the room, two couches, a loveseat and an armchair were full of people. He counted eight people, but the older woman in the armchair was the person he was most concerned about. She seemed to be in charge, but when he sent his energy out, he found that her powers were strong, but not strong enough for someone to be in charge. No, that was someone else on his left. Zeroing in on that high energy, he realized that belonged to a middle aged man in the center of the couch. When Danny turned his head, the man was smiling.

“Very good, Wizard Williams. Not many people would have noticed that trick. Including the ones who have been born here.” He said.

Danny shrugged. “What can I say, I’ve been around the block a few times.”

“Indeed. You’ve also suffered much these last few years.”

He grew quiet while flashes of Rachel went through his head. He mentally pushed them aside, forcing his focus on the present. “Yes, Sir.”

The man stood and walked over with his hand out. “My name is John McGarrett. It’s very nice to meet you. I look forward to your insights.”

Danny winced while shaking John’s hand. “With all due respect, I’ve given up this side of my life. Not after what happened in Jersey. I’m more than happy to focus on my career and my daughter. Other than that, my sorcerer abilities are cast aside. I merely made an appearance out of respect for the council.”

John nodded, his face now grave. “I see. Very well, that is your right. But I have very strict rules for those who have been in your position. I’ll have the warden upstairs give you the rules on that. The short version of it basically says don’t use your powers selfishly, illegally and don’t tell anyone. Regular monthly check ins to ensure you are still alive. Other than that, you are free to do as you please.”

He nodded and let out a deep breath. “Thank you, Sir. I appreciate that.” He was worried that he would have been denied and forced on assignments, but with that reassurance, his worry and stress melted away.

“I will say this, however,” John interrupted his good mood. “If an emergency or a very dangerous assignment occurs, I have the right to draft you as the situation calls for it.”

Danny inwardly winced and anxiety curled uncomfortably in his stomach. “I understand.”

“Good. Then I believe that is all. Goodnight, Mr. Williams and enjoy your time with your daughter.”

“Yes, Sir, Goodnight, Sir, Councilmen.” He bowed slightly in respect and then made his way back upstairs to collect Grace.


	2. First Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve comes home and starts his hunt for his nemesis.
> 
> Thank you for all of the comments. I'm so excited that y'all are so interested. I forgot to mention last chapter that some elements are inspired by the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Please keep the comments, questions and kudos coming. I love y'all's feedback as it helps me become a better writer. Y'all are amazing. Enjoy!

Steve McGarrett sat in the back seat of the taxi waiting impatiently to get home. After being away from Hawaii for so many years, he regretted not coming home sooner. 

The last five years, he had been tracking a pair of terrorists that were brothers. He had finally managed to capture the younger brother Anton Hesse a month ago and his team had been escorting out of Korea to America. Unfortunately, his team had been caught in an ambush and was forced to shoot Anton. The older brother had called him on his cell and was outraged that his brother was dead. Victor Hesse reciprocated by shooting his father while he was still talking to Steve on the phone. He could still hear his father’s voice over the phone and the sound of the gun shot will forever be seared into his memory.

He has been in the SEALs for the last six years and four years with Navy Intelligence before that. While he mainly did missions that anyone trained in the military can do, he also did missions that Steve struggled with understanding that existed. The supernatural always seemed like fiction and when his superiors told him he was hunting a vampire, werewolf, mage or whatever fantasy creature it was, Steve got the job done. He never analyzed the magical side of the mission. It seemed too unreal to be true. So he had made a decision to ignore all of it.

“We’re here.” The driver said, pulling Steve from his thoughts. He paid the driver, grabbed his duffel and got out.

The first thing he sees is the crime scene tape around the property, forming a perimeter. He easily ducked under it and quickly made his way inside.

Inside the house was a total disaster. As soon as he walked through the door, he saw furniture overturned, glass broken all over the floor and the massive blood spill on the floor and the wall.

Steve looked at the chair with the blood, imagining how his father must have looked while talking to him over the phone. He could see the fear as well as the determination to go out fighting. 

Shaking himself out of his reverie, he looked around the scene. At the desk he found some fingerprints that he took a picture of and he found a footprint that he also took a picture of. Then on a whim, he went into the garage. 

In the middle, covered by a dusty tan tarp, was the car that he and his father worked on when he was a kid. Pulling back the tarp, he could see the hood was up, exposing the engine and tools were scattered around the machinery. It was obvious that his father was still working on it but never finished. Steve made a promise to himself that he would finish it in honor of his father.

Turning from the car, a red tool box sitting on the workbench caught his eye. The word Champ was printed on the front of the toolbox. He went over and quickly opened it, expecting tools inside. He was surprised to find no tools, but a bunch of items that didn’t seem to go together. Underneath the top tray, he found a little voice recorder with a tape already inserted.

He picked it up and clicked the play button. His father’s voice came through the little speaker and a wave of grief went through him. Tears pricked the corner of his eyes as he listened to the recording.

“I can’t continue this investigation in the police department. I can’t trust anyone, so I have to do this on my own. It’s all about the key…”

The sound of the screen door slamming made Steve turn towards the noise in alarm. Not sure who to trust with this evidence, Steve quickly stopped the recorder and through everything back into the toolbox. 

He had just finished closing it when a short blonde haired man came barging into the garage. A gun was in his hands and pointing at him. Steve responded by also pulling his pistol out and pointing it back at the guy.

“Hey! Don’t move!”

“Who are you?!”

“Who are you?! I’m Detective Danny Williams…”

“Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett!”

“Put your weapon down right now!”

“You show me your ID!”

“No, you show me YOUR ID right now!”

There was a moment of silence between their bellowed demands. Steve took a breath to calm down and lowered his voice so that they were not yelling over each other. “I’m not putting my gun down.” 

“Neither am I.” Steve was glad to hear that Danny had also lowered his volume.

With the refusal to give, Steve decided to change tactics. “Use your free hand and pull out your ID.”

“Please, after you.” Danny was quick to respond, annoying Steve with the shorter man’s stubbornness.

“At the same time.”

Danny’s face showed bewilderment at that. “At the same time?”

Now Steve was losing his patience. “Yeah, at the same time.”

“What like on the count of three?”

“Yeah, three’s good.” Steve quickly agreed, ready to move on from this standoff.

Danny must have wanted to move passed this too, because he went along with the suggestion. The blonde slowly counted to three while slowly going for his pocket. Steve mirrored the movement. By the time three was spoken, they both had their IDs up and open for the other to see.

Seeing the police badge, Steve let out a sigh and holstered his gun. Danny did the same thing, tension seeped out of his shoulders.

“Look, I’m sorry about your father, but you can’t be here right now. This is an active crime scene.” Danny said while moving closer.

“Doesn’t seem that active.” Steve pushed back, not believing what he was hearing.

Danny looked away for a moment, guilt written across his features. “I can’t share any information with you.”

His patience snapped and he spoke over Danny, sharing what he knew instead. “Hesse wasn’t alone when my father was murdered. Someone was sitting at the desk in the study. There was a space there cleared for a thirteen inch laptop and my father hated computers.” He watched closely as Danny had walked closer and the Detective seemed to be listening intently.

After he spoke, Danny straightened up and gestured towards the door. “I’m gonna ask you again. You gotta leave.”

Frustrated with lack of help, Steve grabbed the toolbox and started walking to the door. “You got it.”

“And you can leave the box that is evidence, you know that.” Danny snapped as he walked by. 

Steve turned back to the blonde and felt slightly vindictive. “I came with this.” He smirked at the outrage in Danny’s eyes.

“No, you didn’t. I can see the dust void it left on the counter. What’s in the box?”

“How long you been with the Honolulu PD?” Steve asked, trying to fluster the smaller man by going for a low shot.

However, he was impressed with Danny’s quick comeback. “None of your business, what are you Barbara Walters?”

“You know it is my business if you are investigating my father’s death.”

“I am and I like to get back to that, so the sooner you leave the sooner I can.”

“Anything you say.” Steve responded, turning to leave once again, feeling fed up with this conversation.

“Leave the box or get arrested, alright?” Danny angrily snapped.

Steve looked at the smaller man who was currently giving off angry waves of energy. He half laughed at the sight. But he wasn’t backing down. “You gonna call for backup?”

He was hoping to scare Danny to backing down, but he was shocked to see the smaller man stand a little taller and looked at him calmly. “An ambulance.” He answered quietly.

He felt shame rush through him. What was he doing picking a fight with the Detective who was obviously trying to just do his job? He knew that if they fought, someone was going to be hurt. Mainly Danny. No, there was another choice to resolve this.

Steve placed the toolbox on the trunk of the car, decision made.

“Thank you.” Danny’s tone sounded relieved.

He reached for his phone in his pocket. “Don’t thank me yet.” He dialed a number that he had always programmed in his phone thanks to his deceased father. The Governor and his father had been good friends since he was a preteen. He was always told to have her number just in case he needed to talk to her.

The line rang for a moment and then a young female’s voice answered with a pleasant greeting. “Yes, Governor Jameson please. Tell her it’s Steve McGarrett.”

After a moment, Pat Jameson’s voice came over the line. Steve told her what was going on and that he was being delayed because of the cops.

She listened, then was silent for a minute. “Steve, I have a proposal for you that could be a great benefit to both of us. I have been planning to create a task force that would answer directly to me. In exchange, this task force would run high priority cases throughout the entire state of Hawaii. With the immunity and means to get everything done. My backing and no red tape. I think you would be perfect to run it.”

Steve was surprised about that, but he could see how that could work. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to run something like that. He glanced at Danny, who stood at the other side of the garage, arms crossed tightly across his chest. An angry scowl graced his features as he stared at Steve. “Ok. Sounds interesting. I’ll take the job.” He may not be sure he was the right person, but if it helped him track down Hesse, he was going to grab it with both hands.

Jameson was delighted and had him swear in right there on the phone. As soon as he hung up, Steve picked up the toolbox. “Now it’s my crime scene.” He said smugly and then walked out, leaving the fuming Detective behind.


	3. Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gets a late night visitor and gets a new lead.
> 
> Thank you for your continued support. I can't wait to here what y'all think of this chapter. Please leave any comments, questions and kudos. Enjoy!

Danny sat on his couch two nights later, still fuming at Steve. He couldn’t believe what Steve just did. The worst part was there was nothing he could do about it. He received an official letter from the Governor’s office at work that morning announcing that Steve had the right to take the case away from him. Not long after that, the Captain called him into his office and gave him a chewing out for not keeping the case. Danny mentioned the Governor’s letter, but the Captain didn’t want to hear it. After some more yelling, a cold case file was slapped into his chest and told to leave to begin working on it.

He looked at his phone to check the time and saw it was almost midnight. Grace had zonked out a few hours ago. Tomorrow was Saturday and his day off of work. He had planned to take Grace to the aquarium where they could pet dolphins, stingrays and other fish. Even though this week was especially frustrating for him, he was looking forward to taking her.

A knock on his front door surprised him. He grabbed his gun and checked his wards that he had put up months ago. The wards showed that whoever or whatever was on the other side didn’t appear to be hostile. However, experience has taught him that hostile intent can be hidden well. 

He automatically drew power to activate a defense spell then he remembered he wasn’t supposed to do that anymore. He took a breath to carefully release the energy and positioned his gun for quick defense. He checked towards the back room to be sure Grace wasn’t up then he cracked the door open.

A woman stood on the other side. She was several inches taller than he was, bronzed tan skin, shoulder length wavy brown hair, curvy and dressed in a aqua blue business dress that came to her knees. Elegant makeup completed the look.

“Wizard Williams, forgive my intrusion, but I need to speak with you. I’m afraid it couldn’t wait.” She said, getting straight to business.

Danny was surprised to see her. “Mrs. Lisa Simona. I didn’t expect to see anyone from the Council.”

“May I come in?”

He respected anyone on the council here since he didn’t know any of them. However, that’s another reason why he doesn’t trust them. Instead of inviting, he stepped to the side and opened the door wide enough for her to enter. If she was here with intent to do harm, she would have to try and do that with very little power. Homes were the strongest defense in the magical world. If he were to verbally invite anyone in, they would keep all of their powers. By not giving that permission, anyone that comes over the threshold will leave the majority of their power outside, which gives Danny the advantage if he gets attacked.

Lisa walked in, tensing when she felt most of her power get cut off from her. Then she continued on, brushing off the unsettling feeling. She gave a cursory glance around the house while Danny closed the door, making sure to lock the door. He tucked his gun in the back of his pants and he faced her.

She elegantly sat on the edge of the crappy couch he had purchased when they first moved in. Then she arched an eyebrow at him. 

Danny sighed. “Would you like some water or a beer? That’s all I got.” He forced himself to be polite even though he was impatient.

“No, thank you. This shouldn’t take long. Please, sit down.”

He would rather stand but out of respect, he pulled out the chair from the small dining table against the wall and sat down. “Ok, what did you want to talk about?”

“I understand that you are no longer working John McGarrett’s case.” Danny nodded to confirm that statement. “The council needs you to continue your investigation into John’s murder, quietly.”

Danny blinked in disbelief. “I’m sorry, you want me to break the law and investigate a case that I was taken off of?”

Lisa nodded. “Yes. We suspect that John’s murder was done by a vampire. Find who is responsible and eliminate them.”

That kind of order ignited anger in his chest. He scowled at her. “Ok, first of all, I will help where I can. Second, I am not a weapon to kill when the Council chooses. I will investigate, but I will do my best to bring the murderer to justice. Got it?” His hands were gesturing sharply, showing his anger.

“Wizard, John made an agreement with you when you arrived on our Islands that you would help when we called upon it.” She argued.

But Danny has had this argument before with a different Council back in Jersey. “Yes, I agreed to help when it was absolutely necessary, not to kill anyone that does wrong to you. I have a daughter and she is more important to me than any of your wrath. I will investigate and bring justice, nothing else.”

They stared at each other for a long tense minute. Then Lisa looked away and stood. “Very well. However, if this killer kills again, you are responsible.” 

“Fine.” Danny said and stood. “If that’s all, I would like you to leave.”

She stood and primly walked out of the door without another word. Danny slammed the door behind her and locked it. He flopped onto the couch, suddenly feeling exhausted as his brain buzzed with so many thoughts that it gave him a headache. This was most definitely the worst week he has had in a long time.

~S~

The next morning, Danny woke up tired and pissed. He didn’t sleep until some time in the early morning hours. Now he had to figure out what to do with Grace and how he was going to break the disappointing news that they were not going out today. Instead, Danny had to merge himself back into the magical world. The world that he had sworn that he had turned his back on a year ago.

The worst part, since he has been on this island, he has no clue where on the pineapple infested hell hole that the magical world is located. He will have to spend most of the day just getting information before he could even start his investigation. Then he needed to write down everything he could remember of the crime scene and reports to figure out his next lead.

The soft pitter patter of bare feet drew his attention to his bedroom door as it opened. Grace came in in her pink pjs, rubbing her sleepy eyes. “Danno?” She sleepily replied.

Danny smiled and lifted up the covers. “Come here, Monkey.” She crawled onto the bed and snuggled into his chest. He dropped the covers over her and wrapped his arms around her. “How did you sleep?”

“Pretty good.” She cutely yawned and stretched. Then she grinned. “We get to go to the aquarium today. I’m so excited, Danno.”

He winced at her excitement. He felt very guilty at the fact he was about to crush her joy. “Listen, babe. I have some bad news.”

Grace sat up and looked at him. After a few seconds, her face fell into disappointment. “You have to go catch the bad guys.”

“Yeah, I do. I’m sorry, it came in late last night. I promise the next available free day that I have, we will go.” He promised. He kissed her forehead. “I’m sincerely sorry, I know you were looking forward to this outing. Danno loves you.”

Grace gave a small smile and gave a kiss in return. “I love you too. I get it, Danno. Can we go out for breakfast before you leave?”

Danny felt his heart twist. She was so understanding that he felt that he didn’t deserve her. “Sure, we can do that.”

“YAY!” She grinned and then jumped out of bed to run out the door. Her joyous voice drifted down the short hallway. 

He sighed and forced himself to get up to get dressed, trying to keep his mind on his daughter and not on the difficult task ahead.

~S~

Danny sat in his car, frustrated at the fact that after stopping at five shops that didn’t give him much information. At each shop, he sent out his magical sense to see if the shops had a magical print. So far, none of them were willing to give or even know of the location of the entrance to the magical world.

He thought about Grace and smiled about their breakfast date they had this morning. She had wanted pancakes and Danny had taken her to the Wailana Coffee House. His partner, Meka, had taken him there a couple months ago and Danny knew that this place was a good place. Grace absolutely loved it. 

Afterwards, he had dropped her off at Meka’s house. He had called his partner that morning and asked if Amy could watch Grace while he worked the case. Meka agreed without hesitation and said to drop her off whenever he was ready.

Now, after a very long morning, he had decided to grab something to eat. He found himself next to a yellow truck on the beach. He has passed by it before but never actually stopped here. However, Meka told him that the food was worth the heat of the sun. With a sigh, Danny got out and headed to the truck.

He was just approaching the order window, when he felt a large pulse of magic. It made him stagger slightly and after scrutinizing it for a few seconds, he realized he had just tripped over a lei line.

Lei lines were lines made up of pure, raw magical energies. Anyone with a gift in magic can tap into any of them. Usually when someone was working on a massive spell that required a lot of energy. The food truck was practically sitting on top of several of them.

“Easy, little haole. You almost messed up my new sign.” A deep, baritone voice said from above. 

Danny looked up and saw a big, hawaiian man leaning out of the window. He looked at the face and then at the logo on the truck. It was the same face. He pointed at the logo with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously? You use your own face for marketing?”

The man grinned. “What better way to promote my own product. Everyone knows it’s Kamekona’s when they see it.”

“Is that your name? Kamekona?”

“The one and only, brah.” Kamekona replied, then he crossed his arms. “Are you going to buy anything or just bug me with questions of the case you’re working?”

Danny blinked at him in surprise. “My case? How do you know about that?”

The big man leaned down until he was close enough to talk so quietly that it was almost a whisper. “Let me tell you a secret. I’m a seer.”

He mentally cursed. Seers were a pain to deal with, no matter who or where that person was. They could either see or sense into the future. Not enough to be able to get a clear picture, but they could interpret enough to get an idea of what the future holds. In exchange for any information, the seers demanded some kind of payment. Each one was different and demanded different things as payment. Never money.

“Ok, I’ll bite. What’s the price?” Danny said warily. 

Kamekona smiled as he leaned back. “You eat here at least four times for the next week and you tell everyone how good my food is.”

Danny was surprised at that answer and then it dawned on him. Meka had gone on and on how good the food was. Now he suspected it was part of payment for information. “Do all of your clients have the same prices?” He asked just to see if what he suspected was true.

“Mostly. Depends on the information, but usually about the same.”

“Ah, I see.” He muttered now very annoyed at his partner. “Ok, deal. I’ll have your garlic shrimp today.” 

“Coming right up. That will be $7.50, brah.” Danny handed over the money. Kamekona gave him his change and receipt. He called behind for a garlic shrimp, then turned back to Danny. “Ok, tell me what you need.”

“First, where the hell is the magical world?”

The big man smiled and reached for a pen and paper. “Here are the directions to get to it easily. But you will probably need to ask when you get there where the other entrances are.” A minute later, a piece of paper was being thrust into his hand showing a map.

“Thanks.” He carefully folded it and put it in his shirt pocket. “Second, do you have any idea of any pertinent information on the case? Suspects, locations, drugs...spells?” 

Kamekona thought for a moment before shaking his head. “Nothing specific. But I will say that vampires are involved.” He paused as he thought for a moment, then he smiled. “Although, you will find your life will be quite interesting soon.” 

Danny raised an eyebrow at that. “What the hell does that mean?”

The big man only smiled. “I think you know better to ask such a direct question. Even if you did ask correctly, my lips are sealed. After All, I risk changing events if I tell you.” He said innocently.

Danny growled and grabbed his food in frustration as he began to walk away. Kamekona said that he looked forward to seeing him again and good luck. He merely stalked back to his car to eat in peace before he followed the map to the magical world.


	4. Finding A Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Chin and Kono go on a lunch break. They are given a lead to follow.
> 
> Thank you for your comments. I am so excited that y'all are so interested in this story. Thank you for your support and I can't wait to here what you think of this chapter. Enjoy!

It had been five days since he took control of the case, but Steve felt like he was getting nowhere. They had looked over all of the police reports, interrogated multiple suspects including the weapon trafficker Frank Doran, and swapped information with ATF. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

He stared at the screen of his computer, watching the little cursor blink in the document he was viewing. Annoyed and fighting off a tension headache, he slammed the lid of the computer closed.

A knock sounded and his front door opened before he could get up. Chin and Kono entered and they walked over to him. “By the look on your face, Boss, I’m going to guess you haven’t gotten anywhere.” Kono said.

Chin Ho Kelly was the first person Steve recruited. His knowledge of HPD and how their procedures worked was an invaluable resource. It also didn’t hurt that the older man had a grudge against HPD after accusing him of skimming money off some drug money that fell into the evidence locker. He also had known Steve’s Father when he worked for HPD. Was in fact trained by the deceased Officer.

His younger cousin Kono Kalakaua was about to graduate from the police academy. A former pro surfer who had to quit after she blew out her knee, she was a force to be reckoned with. Like Steve, she was still learning all of the rules that came with civilian law enforcement. A feat that Steve was struggling with.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes, hoping the slight burn in them would stop. “No, I haven’t.”

Chin nodded. “Ok. Let’s go get some lunch. I know the perfect place and he might have some insight to help us figure out a clue.”

Steve agreed and they all piled into Chin’s car. Steve still hadn’t acquired a vehicle for himself yet.

They reached the place in no time and Steve was surprised by what he was seeing. “Seriously? A food truck?” 

Chin smiled. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it. This has one of the best shrimp on the island and no that was not a marketing pitch.” 

The three walked to the truck window and were greeted. “Hey, Kamekona. Howz it?” Chin greeted.

Kamekona grinned. “Chin, my brother. I haven’t seen you in a while. What can I get ya, brah?”

“We need information.” Steve replied bluntly. He didn’t have much patience right now.

The big man looked at Chin. “The price is the same...and those two stand over there.”

Kono made a shocked sound. “Oh, come on. Why can’t we hear the info?”

“Honestly, I don’t know you two.” Kamekona defended.

Chin turned to them, a calming hand up. “Guys, relax. It’s fine. He’s just paranoid. I’ll order us some food and get the info. Why don’t you go find a table.” 

Kono was going to protest but Steve grabbed her arm and shook his head. “Come on, rookie.” They found a table fifteen feet away and they sat down. Steve watched Chin pass over some money, some animated talking for a few minutes before a tray was given to him. The older man walked to their table and set down the tray. 

“Lunch is served.” He announced as he sat down next to Kono.

They each grabbed a plate and began to eat. After the first bite, Steve had to agree that it was excellent. “So, what did Kamekona say.”

Chin sighed and gave a glance to Kono, which Steve caught. It was an odd look and the cousins had a silent conversation before Chin spoke. “Kamekona doesn’t know much and we’ve already talked to Doran. Although, he did mention that we should go talk to Danny Williams.”

Steve paused mid chew, staring at Chin then swallowed. “Williams? As in the Detective that was working the case previously?”

“The very one. Apparently, he came by here a couple of days ago to get some information. He might have something by now.”

Kono chuckled. “I guess you need to figure out an apology, Boss.”

Steve sighed and nodded. “Guess so.” He muttered as he ate his last bite of shrimp. It wasn’t as good as the rest of the meal.

~S~

They easily found the house that Danny lived at and Steve was surprised to see a nice looking Camaro sitting in the driveway.

Kono whistled next to him. “That’s a nice looking car.”

“Probably was able to afford it with whatever life insurance money he had left over.” Chin said.

“How do you know that?” She asked curiously.

Steve answered her before Chin. “In his file, it says he is a widower. Wife passed away a year and a half ago. Has one kid and moved from New Jersey six months ago.”

Chin nodded. “Yeah, that about sums it up. Although, I’ve heard that the other HPD detectives don’t like him much.”

“Let’s go and get this over with.” Steve grumbled and then the three went to the door. He rang the bell and waited.

The door opened and a little brown haired girl stood there. Her wide brown eyes watched them in curiosity. 

Steve smiled. “Umm, hi. We’re police officers and we’re here to see your Daddy.”

She stood there a few more seconds before turning her head. “DANNO!”

Shortly after her shout, the door opened wider to reveal the short blonde that Steve met in his Father’s garage. Danny scowled when he saw who was standing at his door. “McGarrett. What do you want?”

Steve took a moment to look the man over. His hair was slightly messy, he wore a loose pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He was currently barefoot. Danny looked like he hasn’t slept much and probably hasn’t eaten much either by the look of his physical state. He was far from the well put together man that he met almost a week ago.

“We need information. Kamekona told us you came to see him a couple of days ago. We need to swap notes.” He paused a moment in thought. “Although, my first question is why are you still working my Father’s case? That belongs to me now.”

Danny’s face darkened and he folded his arms across his chest. “The why is none of your business.”

“Danny, please help us. If we work together we can catch the guy responsible.” The ever calm Chin jumped in before Steve could make things worse. When Danny didn’t speak, Chin gestured towards the door. “May we come in?”

Danny sighed, opened the door, and waved at them. “Come in.”

The little girl looked at her Father. “But Danno, one of them is a vamp…” Danny clapped a hand on her mouth and pulled her against him. Steve felt confused at that sentence. What was she trying to say? The only thing he could think of that had v-a-m-p in the word was vampire. But those didn’t exist.

“I know, Grace, and we’ve talked about blurting that kind of thing out in public. Now, go do your homework. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.” He said sternly. She nodded her head before he released her. 

Grace didn’t say anything else and obeyed him, quickly darting to her room where she closed her door. As she left, Steve and the cousins entered. As they did, out of the corner of his eye, he saw both Chin and Kono give pained expressions before returning to normal. He found that odd and filed that away for later.

Danny shut the door and gestured to the living room. “Have a seat. Water anyone?” They shook their heads at his offer. They quickly sat down while Danny went into the kitchen. He came back 30 seconds later carrying a glass of water, a laptop and a notebook. He sat down on the only open chair across from them and dropped everything onto the coffee table. 

“Alright, what do you know?” He asked gruffly.

Steve bristled at the rude tone. “Maybe you should tell us first since it is our case.”

Danny sat up straighter and his eyes hardened. Steve stared back at those blue eyes and for a moment, it almost seemed that they turned an unnatural vibrant blue. But when he blinked, they looked normal. He mentally shook himself. He must be more tired than he thought.

“Do not tell me what to do in my own home. I let you in when I should have slammed the door.” Danny growled and then let out a deep breath. Steve thought that in the next moment, Danny looked completely drained. “It would also save time if you just told me what you knew and I would be able to fill in the blanks more accurately.”

Steve sighed and felt himself deflate at that. “Fair enough.”

Danny nodded and relaxed back into his chair. Chin took the lead in explaining what they knew. Hesse had killed John McGarrett while talking to Steve, Hesse had to get a gun from somewhere, tracked down Doran for questioning which went terribly wrong, and they were looking where Hesse could be hiding now.

Once Chin had finished, Danny sat in silence, his face showing he was mentally going through his notes. Steve fidgeted in his seat, feeling impatient and ready to move on. Chin caught him shifting and sent a look that told him to stop. Steve forced his body to stillness.

Finally, Danny reached for his notebook and flipped a few pages. “Ok, I only have one lead. Through some contacts, I heard that someone had been smuggling people onto the island.”

Steve lifted an eyebrow in surprise. For all of the thinking, he had an inkling that Danny had more than that one lead. “Great. Let’s get going then.” He said, ready to go after Hesse and worry about Danny later.

The three stood up and headed to the door. Danny stood as well, annoyance now on his face. “That’s it? Would it kill you to say “Why thank you, Danny. That was a big help.” Is that too hard to say?”

Steve briefly waved at him as he headed out the door. “Thanks.” He said over his shoulder.

“You two go ahead, I’ll be there in a minute.” Chin said. Steve looked at him with a question in his eyes. “I just want to give Danny our contact info in case he thinks or hears of anything else. It will be quick.”

Satisfied with that, Steve headed to the car with Kono on his heels.

~S~

Danny watched McGarrett and Kono leave the house. Chin shut the door behind his cousin before turning to Danny.

“I’m going to guess that you know what I am.” Chin started. 

“Yeah. Werewolf, right?” 

Chin nodded. “Yeah. No offense, but I could smell the magic all over you, Sorcerer.”

Danny sighed. “Relax, I gave that up over a year ago.”

“You did?” Chin asked in disbelief.

“Yeah. I have no intention in binding you or anything.” Danny said with a smirk.

Chin laughed at that. “That’s good. And your daughter is a practitioner too?”

Danny nodded. “Yes. She is still in early training. However, I’m guessing you didn’t stay behind to leave your contact info with me.”

Chin’s smile faded. “No. I get the feeling you have more than one lead on Hesse. I also want to know why you are still working on this case.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I have a much more promising lead. A Vampire Den that Hesse has been staying at. I was planning on infiltrating it tonight. As for still working on this case, the council ordered it.”

“Ah. The Council. They are such bullies.” Chin growled and then realized what he said. He looked at Danny sheepishly. “No offense.”

Danny shrugged. “I don’t really know them, so you might have a better idea about them than me.”

Chin nodded. “We’ll have to get together and I’ll tell you about them. John used to complain about them before being on the Council.” He paused as a sad look passed over him. He shrugged it off a few seconds later. “Anyway, you shouldn’t go to that Vampire Den alone.”

“I don’t have a choice. I wasn’t planning on using magic ever again but I was forced to. I don’t know anyone else here. So, I have to do it.”

The older man smiled. “You’re not alone. Kono and I can join you. She’s a vampire and between the three of us, we could get in and out without anyone knowing.”

Danny stared at him, surprised. “You just met me. You sure you want to do that?”

“Better to take out Hesse before Steve does. That man has a revenge mind set at the moment. Besides, it has been a while since Kono and I were able to use our abilities to solve a case. Could be fun and with you, we don’t have to worry about hiding anything.”

“That’s true.” Danny said thoughtfully. After a few moments, he shrugged. “Ok, fine. You’re in. Meet me at the Waikiki docks at 11 PM. We’ll make a plan and then go in.”

Chin grinned. “Done. Here’s my card with my cell if you need to contact me. Aloha.” Then he slipped out the door after handing Danny his business card.

Danny locked the door and then looked at the number. He sighed and sat heavily on the couch. What in the world has he gotten himself into?


	5. The Den of Vampires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and the cousins go vampire hunting.
> 
> I love reading all of your excited comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I loved writing this chapter and there will be more exciting chapters to come. Y'all are the best! Enjoy.

It was almost pitch black outside when Danny arrived at the docks. Fortunately, it was a new moon which will help hide their movements and limit how far their shadows will be cast. If it had been a full moon, Danny would have hesitated to make a move against these vampires.

The dock was quiet while he opened the trunk to the camaro to put his gear on. Several large ships and a few smaller boats were moored up for the night. He had noted the security guard that was in the security booth when Danny arrived. A few hundreds slipped to the guard and telling him to ignore whatever it was he was going to hear took care of that problem.

Grace had been left at a friend’s house for the night up the road from them. She was old enough to get the idea of what he would be doing but she didn’t need to see the outcome all over him when he got home.

Headlights behind him made Danny turn to see Chin and Kono climbing out of the car. He waved at them while finishing putting a wooden stake through a bandelier. Ramming a stake through a vampire wouldn’t kill it. That was merely fiction, but it would slow them down. Cutting off the head, setting them on fire, dunking them in a huge amount of holy water or completely destroying their bodies into pieces is the only sure way that vampires would not come back. He also added a few water pistols that he had painted black and filled with holy water into a few pockets on his tac vest. He didn’t carry garlic. There was no point since it didn’t really work on vampires. It mostly just annoyed them by burning their sinuses. Lastly, he added a few splash potions he had had on hand at the house along with some small trinkets that he had imbued with magic at some point.

“You got enough gear there, brah?” Kono asked as she checked her pistols and a few stakes strapped to each of her legs.

Danny looked at her while closing the trunk. “Probably not, but it’s the best I could whip up on short notice.” He held his hand out to her. “Nice to officially meet you, Kono.” They shook hands. “Thanks for the help. I don’t really know anyone.”

She lifted an eyebrow and gave a look at Chin. He shrugged while he loaded his shotgun with special wooden rounds and checked his own set of wooden stakes. Kono looked back at Danny. “That would have been stupid to go in alone. Who knows how many are in there and you could be cornered easily.” She said.

He shrugged off her concern. “Honestly, I used to hunt down vampires and werewolves.” He paused as he looked at each of them. “Criminals, of course. That was a long time ago.” He added quickly.

Chin chuckled. “Relax, brah. We know you won’t hurt us without a good reason. Besides, you could have taken me out back at your house if you had wanted to do that. Your magic would have the biggest advantage.”

Danny smiled. “True. Very observant, Detective Kelly.”

The older man grinned. “That’s what they tell me.”

“Ok, before we go in, I have a question.” Kono interrupted. “Why are you going in now and not during the day? Wouldn’t you have a better advantage.”

Danny shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on the vampires, as you should know since you yourself are a vamp. But at this time of night, there won’t be any witnesses. During the day, there will be a ton of people milling around and I prefer to keep the innocent away from this as much as possible.”

Chin nodded. “I agree. This way, if a huge brawl breaks out, no one will be accidentally put in the crossfire.”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Kono said shyly. “Sorry, I’m still a rookie.”

Danny laughed at that. “No worries. We all are rookies at some point in life.”

The cousins also laughed and then Kono cocked her pistol. “Let’s go get this done. We have to meet Steve early tomorrow.”

With that, the three jogged off into the docks. The cousins followed behind Danny as he led them to a warehouse about a half mile away from where they parked. He hugged the nearest wall as he made his way to a window that showed light coming through. He inched up to it and maneuvered until he could just see inside.

The warehouse was mostly empty of shelves, but a couple dozen cots took up space in the middle. Some of the beds were taken while others stood around the room. Danny made note that the majority of the windows were boarded up on the inside. Another door that might lead outside was in the opposite corner of the window Danny was looking through. Near that door, an old, dented desk sat nearby and three vampires stood around it. A man with black hair, a woman with purple and pink dreads and...Victor Hesse.

Danny sidled back to the cousins, talking quietly. “Ok, Hesse is here. If we take him out here, then your hunt will be over.”

“If we capture him, how will we explain this?” Kono asked concerned.

Chin shrugged. “We’ll make something up when we get to that point.”

Danny nodded in agreement. “I counted roughly 18 vamps inside. Most look like the criminal type.”

“What do you think? Shoot first, ask questions later?” Chin asked, obviously a little more experienced at this kind of thing than Kono.

He nodded. “Yeah. I hate doing that, but without more intel, this will be our best bet. Take out anyone who resists, knock out those who surrender.” He advised.

Chin easily agreed and Kono also agreed but a bit more reluctant.

“You two enter through the door on the other side. I’ll go through the door here and get their attention.”

“How are you going to do that?” Kono asked.

Danny grinned. “I’m a human who walks into a vampire den. I’m pretty sure just my scent alone will get their attention.” 

The three parted and Danny counted in his head for two minutes to make sure the cousins had enough time to get into position. Then he kicked the door open and walked in, his pistol raised in front of him. All eyes were focused on him and he gave a small smirk mixed with a scowl. “Hey, blood suckers. You’re under arrest.” He yelled.

Hesse had stopped whatever he had been doing and was staring at him. After a few seconds, he smiled and walked around the desk, hands half raised to show that he was unarmed. At least to his trained eye.

“Wizard. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked in his smooth, irish voice.

Danny scowled more. “As I said. You’re under arrest. Any who resist will be shot or handed over to the council.”

But Hesse wasn’t phased. His smile widened if that was even possible. “My, my. You are a bold one. Good. You will taste way better than the last human I drank from.”

He drew back the hammer on his pistol. “Try to eat me and I will fill you so full of wooden holes, you’ll be begging for death.”

“That’s a good one.” Hesse said around a laugh. “I’ve heard a lot of threats, but that is probably one of the best ones I have heard. Definitely the most amusing in all of my 300 years of life.”

Danny silently cursed. He had been hoping that Hesse was 150 years old, not 300. The older the vampire, the more powerful they became and much harder to kill. A vampire who was a few decades old was considered babies. They barely had any power and were learning how to control their blood thirst. But when a vampire starts getting into the triple digits, that’s when a hunter should worry.

In the past, the oldest vampire that Danny has gone up against was 234 years old. Even during that battle, he had a couple of other wizards to help him and it was still very close. Hesse was even older and he had a vampire and werewolf to help him. Not only that, there were a lot of vampire minions just waiting for the signal to pounce.

“You seem nervous, my little wizard. Perhaps we can make a deal.” Hesse said with a smug expression. “Or I can just send these guys to put you out of your misery.”

Danny glanced around the room and watched as the vampires inched closer to him. He reflexively took a step back, trying to keep as much distance between him and the vampires. He chanced a glance behind him to make sure that there was a path out if need be.

Hesse laughed. “Don’t tell me you want to leave so soon. My friends here are a bit hungry and it has been so long since they had the taste of fresh blood.” Danny glared at him and the Irish took a few seconds to rake his eyes over him. “Not to mention how attractive you are. I bet I could make you feel real good, before they drink you dry.”

“Not happening, Surrender now or die.” Danny tried to put as much command into his tone as he possibly could. His voice came out more shaky than he liked.

“Come now. Be my guest and you won’t have to worry about anything again.” Hesse said sarcastically. Then he made a gesture with his hand and a vamp to Danny’s left leaped forward.

On instinct, Danny airmed his gun at the airborne vampire and fired multiple shots into the man’s face. As the body hit the ground, the back door banged open and cousins barged in.

Then the room descended into chaos.

Danny shot several vampires as he flung himself behind a desk that was near him. He crouched long enough to reload before popping back up. A woman came to the side and swung her clawed hands at him. He tried to jump back, but she was quicker and made several scratches along his right shoulder. He pulled the chair out and kicked it as hard as he could at her, making her fall backwards.

Several more vampires came closer to Danny on the opposite side of the desk. He grabbed a bottle hanging off his belt and flung it as hard as he could to the floor in front of them. He heard the glass shatter and a bright white flash flared before the vampires found themselves on fire. They screamed as they tried to put it out. One went as far as diving through one of the few windows that hadn’t been boarded up.

The woman at this point had recovered and she flung the chair aside before stepping closer.

Danny flung his left hand out and shouted, “Onda d’urto”. Energy left him and she went flying across the room, her back slamming hard against a steel support pole. She fell to the ground and didn’t move.

He barely noticed the woman after she was flung away. He grabbed a vial of holy water, popped the cap off with his thumb and flung it into the next nearest vampire’s face. He heard the skin sizzle as the water hit the man’s flesh. He also screamed and clawed at his face as he fell to the floor.

Danny went to grab the next vial when his arm was yanked up and he found himself pinned to the wall in the blink of an eye. His other arm was grabbed, locking his hand against the wall and unable to use his gun. He fought against the holds as hard as he could, but they were much stronger than he was.

“Stop moving. I’m starving and it is much harder to stay clean when you move.” The woman to his left said with a vicious smile. He squirmed even more as she came closer to his neck. He was scrambling to think of a spell that would work for this situation. He panicked when his brain came up blank. 

A tongue ran up the side of his neck and he felt nausea cramp up his stomach. “You taste so good.” She purred. “I wonder, does a wizard's blood taste sweeter with all of that magic flooding through your veins? Do I get some of that power if I drink it?”

Before Danny could react, she was suddenly flung away from him and Kono appeared next to him, a gun in the other vampire’s face that was still holding Danny. 

The sound of a shotgun being loaded and a low growl made the man slowly turn to look behind him. Chin stood there with a dark look on his face.

“Make any sudden moves and we blow your head off.” Chin growled. The werewolf side of Chin made his voice come out in a much lower register.

The vamp was smart and slowly raised his hands. Kono smiled, her fangs exposed. “Good boy. Now, step away from the wizard, nice and slow.” The man did as he was told and slowly took a few steps away.

Danny was finally able to breathe and he looked around. 

The entire warehouse was a mess. Blood was everywhere and a few bodies lay on the floor, obviously dead. When a vampire dies, they don’t suddenly turn into ashes. They leave bodies behind, just like a normal human would,

But among the bodies, he didn’t see Hesse. “Where’s Hesse?” He asked once he was sure he could talk normally again.

“He managed to run off.” Kono replied without looking at him.

Danny let out a string of curses and slammed a fist into the desk. “Now we have to try and find him again.” He yelled.

“No, Danny. Kono, Steve and I are going after the human trafficker tomorrow.” Chin said in a no nonsense tone. “We’ll get information from him and go after Hesse as soon as we get a location.”

He narrowed his eyes at the older man, irritated that he was being locked out. “I let you two come on this raid. Why can’t I join you on the hunt? It would make more sense.”

Chin nodded. “I would agree with you but there is one problem. Steve doesn’t know anything about magic.”

Danny couldn’t help but stare in shock. “I’m sorry, what? How does Steve not know about the magical world? His father was on the Council.”

“Yes, but John kept his abilities and our world secret. He said he never wanted his family to know anything about it. I’m not sure how he kept it quiet, but as far as I can tell, Steve has no idea about any of this.”

He swore when he heard the explanation. He couldn’t be mad at the Hawaiian. This was all of John’s doing. He sighed as he leaned over the desk, looking at the massacre that lay before him. “Well, you two better go. I’ll call a clean up crew to tidy all of this up before morning.”

The cousins nodded and Kono pulled him into a hug. “Thanks for letting us join. It was fun.” She said, grinning.

Danny chuckled while Chin shook his head. “Yes. it was, babe. Maybe we can do this again. You two be careful. Call if you need me. You know where I work.”

“We will. You be careful, too. The Council is a pain at times and they like to twist your words.” Chin advised.

“Thanks. I’ll bear that in mind.” Danny said, then he watched the cousins leave while he pulled his cell out to arrange for a clean up.


	6. To Gain A Partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny start working together.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It's longer than the previous chapters. Please continue leaving any of your thoughts and kudos.

The sun was barely up when Steve finally finished his morning workout. He had gotten up very early and cut his exercise short in order to make sure that he had time to shower and grab something to eat before the cousins arrived. He rushed through his shower, dressing for the day and breakfast. He had stopped by the store on his way home from the office the night before to grab some food for a few days.

A knock sounded on his door as he was eating his last bite of eggs. He swallowed it quickly as he went to the door and opened it. “I thought you two wouldn’t be here until…” He started saying before trailing off. Standing in front of him wasn’t the cousins but Danny.

“Hi.” Danny says, his demeanor showing a slight bit of insecurity. After a few moments, he let out a deep breath. His hands began to move quickly as he began to speak. “I don’t know the best way to say this, but I’m coming with you today.”

Steve blinked in shock. He wasn’t sure what to say. This was not something he had expected. “Really? What if I say no?”

Danny shrugged. “Then I’ll follow you and jump in anyway. It would just be easier if you let me join in.”

As much as he wanted to say no, he had to admit that Danny was right. It would be easier if he just let him tag along. He sighed and waved the blonde in. “Fine. Come on.”

Just as Danny passed, the familiar mustang pulled into the driveway. The cousins got out and made their way quickly inside. 

“Good morning, Danny.” Kono said cheerily. She practically tackled the smaller man in order to hug him.

Danny groaned. “Morning. Although, could you please lower your cheerfulness a little. I’m not awake enough at this unholy hour.”

Chin chuckled. “Not everyone likes to be up this early in the morning.”

Steve watched this exchange, confused at the sudden friendliness between the three. “Did I miss something?” He asked.

The three looked at each other briefly. “I ran into these two last night.” Danny said. “At the bar near the docks. It was a coincidence, but we talked briefly while I was paying my bill.” 

Steve looked at Chin. The older man nodded. “Kono was too wired after yesterday, so I took her out for a drink to see if that would help calm her down. We chatted briefly. We would have called you but Danny said he was heading home when we got there and we were only staying for one drink.”

He watched them carefully. Something about the story didn’t seem to sit right but he didn’t have anything to go by except his own intuition. He decided not to call them on it and just nodded. “Ok. Well, apparently, Danny has invited himself to this party. Let’s grab the equipment and head out.” Steve looked at the blonde. “Danny, you’re with me.” He ordered as he grabbed his gun and headed towards the car.

~S~

Two hours later, Steve, Chin and Danny were in the back of a semi truck. The back was covered in surveillance equipment. Steve was standing as it gave the best view of the screens on both sounds of the truck. Chin sat at one bank of computers while Danny sat behind on another set of computers.

Kono would be the one going inside undercover to hopefully expose Sang Min. Once he is arrested, they can flip him for information on Hesse. Even though Kono hasn’t graduated from the police academy yet, Steve was confident that she would do an excellent job.

“Are you sure Kono should be doing this? Maybe Chin or I should go in.” Danny asked.

Steve sighed, but Chin was the one that answered. “Sorry, Danny. I hate this more than you but Kono is the only one who can do this. Sang Min has a lot of connections and he knows every cop on the island including you.”

Danny let a breath. “Ok, fine. I guess that makes sense then.” 

Steve glanced at Danny in surprise. They barely knew each other but Danny sounded genuinely worried. He observed the blonde in a different light. In fact, now that he was really looking, Danny actually looked...cute.

“Kono just got shown in.” Chin’s announcement brought Steve out of his thoughts.

Ten minutes later and everything went to hell. Danny traced a call back to HPD and they quickly realized that there was a mole that was able to identify Kono as a cop. Then it was chaos and Steve was worried for the welfare of his team. They were barely two days old and were already engaged in a gunfight. They hadn’t trained yet and he wasn’t sure what each of their weaknesses were.

Fortunately, his concerns were unnecessary. They flowed perfectly with each other. Each member shouted their intentions and automatically looked to him for guidance. He noticed that Danny watched his back constantly while the cousins stuck together. He was smugly satisfied when he was the one that caught Sang Min.

They took Sang Min to a secured area of the warehouse where he and Chin interrogated him. Danny and Kono worked together to figure out the discovered people that were in the shipping container. Obviously they had been smuggled onto the island. 

Once he got the location of where Hesse was after threatening to deport Sang Min’s wife and son, he grabbed Danny without thinking and jumped into the nearest squad car. He gunned it for the dock while he called the Governor.

Once he finished aggressively demanding the ship be detained, he hung up and heard Danny speaking on his cell.

“No, Monkey, I can’t come get you right now. I’m working...I know, babe, but I promise that this weekend we’ll go to the aquarium...I should be able to come get you around dinner. Be good and I’ll call when I’m on my way...Hey, Danno loves you.” Danny hung up and met Steve’s eyes.

Steve really wanted to know what Danno meant. He had heard it when they were at Danny’s house yesterday.

Something must have shown on his face because Danny sighed. “Ok. Gracie was three and she tried to say my name. What came out was Danno.”

“That’s it?” Steve was amazed how simple the story was. He thought it was going to be very elaborate.

“That’s it. That’s it.” Danny confirmed.

“It’s cute.”

“Shut up.” Danny growled.

Steve was shocked at the sharp tone. “What? Why can’t I think it’s cute.”

“Because it’s a thing only between me and my daughter.” 

“Alright.” Steve reluctantly agreed while he made the last turn to their destination. He hit the brakes and they could see the ship sitting at the dock, ramp still lowered. He’ll come back to the whole Danno name later. “There it is.”

“Taking off, how do you want to do this?” Danny asked.

For an answer, Steve merely pulled his pistol out and checked to be sure it was loaded.

“Right.” Danny muttered just loud enough to be heard. 

Steve holstered his pistol and gripped the wheel with both hands. “Hang on.” Then he floored the accelerator.

Danny protested loudly as he steered the car all the way onto the deck of the ship where he finally parked it. He told Danny he was going after Hesse while they were being shot at. Then he had slid out of the car and was off like a shot.

~S~

Danny swore as he watched Steve run off. He managed to slide out while simultaneously bringing his own pistol up and shooting the closest guy firing at him. The man fell in a spray of blood and didn’t move. Danny was relieved to see that he wasn’t a vampire.

He grabbed the rifle that the guy had and holstered his pistol. This would give him a better advantage. He also powered up a shield spell in case he needed to use it. He slowly made his way through the maze of containers while looking for Hesse. If he could take Hesse out before Steve found him, that would be better.

He turned a corner and immediately had to duck back behind as bullets came flying at him. He ducked back around when there was a pause in the firing. He shot blindly in the direction of the bullets and was satisfied when he heard a grunt. This gave him a few precious seconds to take a look around. A second guy stepped out from behind another container in front of him and started shooting.

Danny fired back but was disappointed when he heard the gun click empty. He quickly dropped it as he slid down behind the flimsy pile of crates and nets. At the next pause, he launched himself forward and rolled until he had a clear shot of the guy’s leg. He pulled the trigger and the guy fell to the ground, grasping his now wounded leg.

He stood back up and heard gun fire not too far away. He looked up and saw Hesse followed by Steve on top of the shipping containers. He cursed at his bad luck. There is no way he can dispatch Hesse properly without Steve getting suspicious.

He could only watch as Steve got knocked off a container and fell onto a parked vehicle below. A few words were exchanged that Danny couldn’t hear before Steve raised his pistol and fired at Hesse. 

Danny had to give Hesse credit for acting like he was dying as he fell off the container. He heard the splash as Hesse hit the water. He knew Hesse wasn’t dead but Steve didn’t know that he was a vampire. He would have to do his best to pretend he was while he searched him out again. The Council wasn’t going to be happy about this.

The man that Danny had shot groaned and Danny quickly scrambled up to subdue the guy. The man glared at him with inhuman eyes. He was a vampire. Danny made sure to pull his specialized cuffs that were made for supernaturals. They were made of titanium and spells had been woven carefully into the metal. This prevented anyone that was part of the supernatural community and whoever possessed magical abilities would be unable to get loose until they were given to the correct authorities. A specialty group within the police that were hidden. A simple code word given and the man would disappear from the normal jail over night. Depending on who the person belonged to, they were handed over to the correct group for judgement.

He made sure that Steve was ok before he teased the guy he was kneeling on about getting away. Afterwards, the cops arrived and the clean up was underway.

~S~

Steve walked up to the house that belonged to Danny late that evening. He was sore from where Hesse had kicked him and he had a headache. His arm was in a sling which he would normally have thrown it off but it hurt enough that he decided to follow the doctor’s advice for once.

He took a calming breath, readjusted his sling and knocked on the door. It opened a minute later by Danny. The blonde looked like he had been asleep. His hair was messy and he was rubbing his blue eyes lethargically. “Steve? What are you doing here?”

“Sorry if I woke you. I wanted to talk to you.” Steve did feel guilty at waking the poor guy. It had looked like Danny hadn’t slept in days. 

Danny merely gave him a questioning look but stepped aside and waved him in. Steve quickly slipped in and stood by the couch awkwardly as Danny closed the door.

“Ok. What is it you want to talk about?” Danny asked. He folded his arms and the t-shirt he was wearing pulled tight across his muscled arms. This didn’t help Steve’s state of mind at all and he had to take a few moments to refocus on his objective.

“Listen, I thought that, you know, you didn’t do too bad. We seemed to have worked pretty well together. I thought maybe, if you were ok with it, that you could...um…” He sighed. This was harder than he expected.

Danny looked completely confused. “Steve, whatever you are trying to say, just say it. I’m way too tired to try and decipher your neanderthal speech.”

“Really? Neanderthal?”

The blonde shrugged. “Your people skills need some work. They are pretty basic.”

Steve shook his head with a small laugh. “Ok, whatever. What I’m trying to say is we should be partners. I want you as my partner.”

Danny blinked. “Let me get this straight. You came over here at almost midnight to tell me that you want me to be your partner on your little task force?”

“Pretty much.”

There was a heavy silence for a full minute before Danny spoke again. “What makes you think I would agree to this?”

Steve shrugged and smiled. “I think we’re going to get along great. Just say yes.”

Danny huffed and walked past him into the kitchen. Steve followed and saw Danny grab a beer and swallow half the bottle in one go. Then he sighed while leaning a hip against the counter. “Why me, Steve? The two of us haven’t exactly been all that friendly towards each other.”

“I agree, but I think we can do better. Especially after this last case. At least give us a try.” 

Another tense silence followed. Danny drank the rest of his beer before tossing the empty bottle in a recycle bin. Steve forced himself to remain still as he waited impatiently for Danny’s answer.

“Alright. Fine. I’ll be your partner...temporarily to make sure this will work.” Danny finally answered.

Steve couldn’t help but grin in relief. “You won’t regret it. Oh, I got you this.” He added as he pulled out a gift card and held it out.

Danny took it and examined it. “Ok, I have to ask, why are you giving me this?”

“I figured you could take Grace there after your visit to the aquarium. I hear it’s an excellent restaurant. I figured it was something you two deserve after everything.”

Danny looked at it once more before giving a small smile. “Thanks.” He said quietly.

Steve grinned. “So, I’ll see you at the office on Monday. I’ll take care of the paperwork.” Then he left to head home and he hoped that things will only get better from here.


	7. New Job, New Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny gets another late night visit.
> 
> This is a shorter chapter than the last one. The next chapter will be much longer. Please continue leaving your comments, questions and kudos. Y'all are amazing and thank you for your support. Enjoy!

The weekend with Grace was incredible. Danny loved watching his daughter get excited seeing all of the animals. When they got to the gift shop, Grace had asked for a cute stuffed stingray to take home. He couldn’t resist her cute puppy dog eyes and bought it. The smile she gave was well worth the extra expense.

The first week working with Steve was very...educational. Danny didn’t realize how crazy his new partner was until he watched Steve hold a suspect off a roof. He had yelled very loudly at the insanity of the idea despite the fact that Steve’s logic made sense. 

They got back to the office with Danny still yelling. The cousins looked at them as they entered.

“What did you do, Boss?” Kono asked with a smirk. Chin leaned against the computer table looking amused.

Steve shrugged. “Ignore him. Danny’s just upset because I interrogated a suspect.”

“No. No. Tortured was more like it.” Danny interrupted. “This animal hung a guy off a roof.”

Steve sighed. “Danny, I told you that guy wouldn’t talk unless he was scared he would die. I already explained this to you.”

Danny glared at him. “Doesn’t excuse your behavior.” Then he went to his office, calling over his shoulder. “I’m leaving. I’ve got to pick up Grace. I’ll do my report later.” 

“Ok. I’ll see you later.” Steve called out as Danny left.

~S~

Danny had just finished doing the dishes when a knock was heard at the door.

“I”ll get it, Danno.” Grace said excitedly as she began to get up from the kitchen table where she had been doing her homework. Danny quickly held his hand up.

“No, babe. It’s much too late at night for you to answer. I’ll get it. You keep doing your homework.” He ordered gently. Grace plopped back in her chair, pouting.

He went to the door quickly and opened it. “What did you forget?” He asked as the door swung open. The smirk he had faded when he saw that it wasn’t his partner at the door. “Ms. Simona. What do you want this time?” He didn’t care if he came across more rude than he normally would.

To her credit, Lisa merely lifted an eyebrow at him. “A good evening to you too, Wizard.” She gestured to the house. “May I enter? I need to talk to you.”

Danny sighed. “What is with you and late night meetings?” He asked but he stood aside, allowing her to pass. Like last time, he didn’t invite her in. He still didn’t trust her fully yet.

She walked in gracefully. “My apologies. This is really the only time I have available to make these kinds of meetings.”

“Who are you?” Grace’s voice surprised both adults. 

Lisa smiled gently at her. “Hello there. My name is Lisa Simona.”

Grace hid behind Danny nervously when he stepped close to her. “I’m Grace.” She said shyly.

“This is my daughter. Who is supposed to be doing her homework.” He gently reprimanded. She merely looked up at him. 

“Sorry, Danno. I was just curious.”

His chest tightened slightly at her curious look that she threw at him. He sighed as he gave her a side hug. “I know, Monkey. Ms. Simona needs to talk to me for a little bit. Why don’t you go to your room and finish up. I’ll come tuck you in when I’m done.” She nodded and gave a shy wave at Lisa before running into the kitchen to grab her homework. Then she went down the small hall to her room and shut the door.

Danny looked at Lisa. “Alright. What is it? I’m not doing another assignment like you did last time.”

Lisa shook her head. “No. Nothing like that. It has come to the council’s attention that you have joined 5-0 and now are Steve McGarrett’s partner.”

He narrowed his eyes at her, suspicion creeping into his mind. “Yeah and what of it?”

“The Council would like you to get close to Steve. Keep tabs on him and protect him.”

“Why?” This was the weirdest set of orders he had ever heard. He even isn’t sure he even wants to follow them.

“Because we feel that it is our responsibility to watch over him Out of respect for John.” She explained.

Danny huffed out a breath. “Get someone else. I’m not spying on him for you.”

Lisa shook her head, impatience showing on her perfectly neutral face. “We’re not asking you to spy on him. We want you to watch his back and make sure he is safe. Stay out of trouble as it were.”

He burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. What she was asking him to do was practically impossible. “Keep Steve out of trouble? You’re hilarious. He has to be the most reckless human being on this planet. He’s practically a danger magnet.”

Lisa sighed, a hint of annoyance breaking her calm face. “Regardless. We would like you to watch over him. As a representative of the Council.”

Danny immediately sobered. “That’s where you are wrong. I will not be doing the Council’s dirty work when you guys see fit.”

“You will do as you are told, Wizard. Or there will be serious consequences.” She snarled angrily. Any trace of friendliness was completely gone. Danny was glad to finally see her true colors.

“Don’t you dare threaten me.” Danny snarled back, making sure to keep his voice down. He didn’t want Grace to hear their heated conversation. “As John clearly stated when I first got here, the Council will only bring me on a mission in a state of an emergency. The last case was out of respect for John, but nothing else. What you are asking does not meet those parameters.”

“I am in charge of the Council now. You will do as I say.”

Danny was surprised to hear that. “You are in charge? Does the International Wizard Council know about this?” He smirked when she stared at him in shock. “What? You didn’t realize that I know about that?”

The International Wizard Council was a group of wizards representing different countries. They met only a few times a year, but they were in charge of making sure the laws were kept in order, making any changes to any laws, making rulings over the most extreme trials and approving all of the leaders in the different parts of the world. Even though Hawaii had its own council, the wizard that represented the United States was in charge of approving the leadership change for the state. The fact that Lisa was shocked about his inquiry made him suspect that she hadn’t been approved at all.

“I was John’s successor and you will listen to me.” Lisa yelled, obviously not caring who heard her.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. He heard Grace’s door open down the hall. “Danno?” Her uncertain voice asked from what sounded like the doorway of her room.

“Go back inside, Grace. I’m finishing this meeting.” He was surprised he was able to sound calm even though he was angry on what was happening.

There were a few moments of silence after they heard the door close. Danny narrowed his eyes at her. “Is there anything else? If not, you can leave.” He gestured to the door.

Lisa growled and turned sharply on her heel. She yanked open the door and started to step out. “This isn’t over.”

“Yes, it is. Now, get out and you are no longer welcome here.” He felt his defenses flare now that Lisa was considered a threat. “I suggest you leave quickly before you catch on fire.”

After another moment, Lisa stomped off, slamming the door behind herself.

Danny stood watching the door, tense in case she came back to throw an attack at him. When nothing happened, he released his tension and collapsed onto the couch. He sighed as he reflected on the conversation he just had. None of it settled well with him. 

He wasn’t sure if the Council agreed to have Lisa take charge, but he was positive that the IWC had no idea about this move.


	8. Birthday Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny searches for answers and he gets a surprise.
> 
> This was a difficult chapter to write. This is a pretty long chapter. Thank you for all of your wonderful comments. I can't wait to read y'all's future comments. Enjoy!

It had been over a month since that late night meeting with Lisa and Danny was no closer to finding any information on her. He has walked through the majority of the magical world trying to get any information on who Lisa is and how she got on the council.

He has been avoiding asking information from the United State Council because he didn’t have any clearance to know that information. The only thing he may get was yes or no Lisa is in the right position. He could sense that there was more going on, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

He drained the rest of his morning coffee, hoping to help him wake up more. It was another late night researching after Grace went to bed. It was around three in the morning by the time he fell asleep. He only had a few hours of sleep before his alarm went off. He barely managed to get him and Grace dressed before heading out the door. He dropped his daughter off with Wizard James Masters who has been teaching Grace magic while he was at work. 

Now he sat at his desk, struggling to stay awake while working on a report from their last case. He sighed as he glanced at Steve’s office. His partner was pacing while speaking on his cell. Danny sighed as he watched, wondering what he should do with the Council situation.

A knock on his door drew his attention from his thoughts. Chin came in with a stack of files in hand. “Hey, Danny, can you look over mine and Kono’s report. I think it all looks good, but you are the best on reports.”

“Sure. I’ll get it done by tomorrow. Just place them there.” He pointed at the corner of his desk. Chin placed the files down and headed to the door. “Oh, wait, Chin.” The older man stopped and looked at him. “I have to ask you something.”

Chin sat down in one of the chairs near his desk. “What is it, brah?”

Danny chewed his bottom lip as he debated on how to phrase the question. “Ok, why doesn’t Steve know about magic? I get that John wanted to protect Steve, but at some point his magic should appear.”

“That’s because Steve doesn’t have magic.” Chin said flatly.

He sat there for a moment, processing that information. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Steve’s mom had both Steve and his little sister Mary tested when they were kids. Both didn’t show any potential.”

Danny narrowed his eyes in thought. “But that doesn’t mean that he could show potential later in life. It isn’t unheard of that people gain the ability to practice magic when they were older.”

Chin shrugged. “I don’t know anything about that, brah. As far as I know, he hasn’t shown any ability to use magic. All I know is that he is human for as long as I have known him.”

He sighed as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Ok, so as far as you can tell, he is human. So, John decided to not tell Steve anything about the supernatural to what? Keep him safe?”

The older man nodded. “That about sums it up.”

“But surely Steve will find out at some point.” Danny pointed out.

“I suspect he has already but rationalizes it to a point where it makes more scientific sense.” Chin flat out explained. “He’s pretty much a lost cause.”

Danny had a light bulb moment. “Unless he was out right shown magic.”

Chin’s face held a look of horror on his face. “Danny, whatever you are thinking, it’s a bad idea.” He leaned forward, hands laying on the surface of the desk. “Besides, I’m pretty sure you could get in serious trouble with the council. Isn’t there a rule against showing magic to those who have no idea about magic.”

He sighed in annoyance. “Yeah. There is.”

“Look, I know that it bugs you that Steve doesn’t know. It bothers me and Kono, but what else can we do?”

Danny sighed, but nodded. “You’re right. Not much else we can do.”

His office door suddenly opened and Steve was standing at the door. “Oh, hey, Chin. What’s going on in here?”

Chin glanced at Danny, uncertainty showing on his face. Danny leaned back in his chair and looked at his partner. “Chin was giving me his and Kono’s report on our last case. Just to glance through it and make sure it’s good for submission.”

Steve let an oh and then marched to Danny. He grabbed his arm and hauled him up without saying a word. Danny threw his weight back and pulled his arm away. “Hey, Neanderthal, what are you doing? You can’t just be a caveman and drag me back to one of your caves without telling me what’s going on.”

Chin laughed at Steve’s bewildered expression. “He’s right, brah. A little explanation would help.”

Steve sighed in aggravation and turned to Danny. “I say since there is not much else going on today, we get out of here.” He grabbed Danny’s hand again. “Come on. We can pick up Gracie on the way to my house.”

Danny felt panic flare in his chest. Grace was still at her magic practice and that place can be a little crazy when the kids got overzealous. He glanced at Chin, begging for help.

Chin cleared his throat. “Steve, Kono can pick up Grace. She mentioned that she went surfing for her day off. I think she is close to where Grace is.”

“Yeah. I’ll call ahead to let them know that Kono will grab Grace.” He turned to his partner and squeezed his hand. “In the meantime, babe, we can stop by Shamu’s truck and grab some shrimp for dinner.” He really just wanted to check in with the big guy to see if he had any information on the council.

Steve thought about it then shrugged. “Ok, fine.” Then he headed out of the room, pulling Danny with him.

Danny looked at Chin and mouthed a thank you as he was dragged out of his office.

~S~

Danny left Steve at one of the tables, saying he needed to make a phone call. He was more than happy to leave his partner while he touched base with Kamekona. He walked up to the window, easily stepping over the lei lines that he had become familiar with their location.

“Hey, it’s my favorite magical haole.” Kamekona happily greeted as soon as he was close enough to hear him.

“Shamu, how’s business?” He greeted in return. He leaned an arm on the lip of the window, looking casual.

Kamekona yelled at somebody behind him before turning his attention back to Danny. “Business is great. I can’t be any happier at this moment, brah.” He jerked his chin towards Steve. “How’s that lover of yours?”

Danny blinked at that. He let out a small nervous laugh. “Uh, no, buddy, he’s just my partner.”

The big man shrugged. “Whatever you say, brah. What can I do for ya?”

“If your rate is still the same, two garlic shrimp and information.” Danny easily replied.

“Two garlic shrimp.” Kamekona yelled behind him, then he leaned closer to Danny. “You want to know about the Council, right?”

Danny nodded. “Yeah, specifically about Lisa Simona.”

The big man straightened and stroked his clean shaven chin in thought. “Hmmm, I don’t know much about her. Not a lot of information that I have heard on her. Why the interest?”

“I don’t know. Something about her just makes me nervous.” He paused as he thought for a few seconds. “I feel like there is something going on in the council that doesn’t make any sense.”

Kamekona nodded his head. “I agree, brah. I sense a dark force brewing, unfortunately, I don’t have anything for you.” He sighed. “I can try and found out some information.”

Danny nodded. “That would be great. Thanks, buddy.”

“No problem, brah.” The requested plates appeared in the window and Kamekona slid the styrofoam containers to him. “By the way, happy birthday. When you see a sparkly flame, take a step to your right, not left.” He said cryptically.

Danny raised an eyebrow at him. “What does that mean?” The big man merely grinned and he sighed. “Nevermind. You aren’t going to tell me anyway.”

He paid for the food and then headed back to where Steve was finishing his phone call. “Hey, babe, I got the food. We can head back to your place.”

Steve grinned. “Cool, then let’s go.” Danny noted that he seemed to be vibrating with over abundance of energy. Which seemed out of place, but at the same time it wasn’t. Danny always compared him to a five year old. “Come on, Danno.” His partner grabbed his hand and almost dragged him back to the car.

~S~

Danny only yelled at Steve three times during the drive. He lost count of how many cars honked at them, but they reached the house relatively unharmed. He had barely opened the door before he saw Steve halfway to the door. “Hurry up, Danno.” His partner grinned gleefully.

He shook his head as he leisurely got out of the camaro. He noted Kono’s car and Chin’s bike were already in the driveway. He grabbed the food and shut the door. He purposely took his time walking to the door where Steve was shifting from one foot to the other impatiently.

“What’s your deal? You’ve been jittery since we left the office.” He asked once he stood next to his tall, handsome partner. He let his eyes stare slightly longer than necessary at the too tight sleeves of Steve’s shirt. He forced his gaze away, forcing his desire to the back of his mind.

“Sorry, I’m just excited to spend some time with you and Grace. It’s been a while since the three of us hung out.”

He threw a bewildered look at him. “We hung out last weekend.”

Steve thought for a moment, then shrugged. “It feels much longer. Now come on.” He grabbed Danny’s hand and dragged him to the door. Steve opened the door and pulled him in, closing the door behind them.

It was slightly darker than normal and it took Danny’s eyes a few moments to adjust. “Why is it so dark in here?”

Suddenly the lights switched on followed by multiple voices yelling “Surprise!”

He dropped the bag of food he was carrying and glanced around the now lighted room. Steve’s living room had been decorated by blue and yellow streamers, balloons, and the coffee table was filled with wrapped presents. He could smell a dozen different types of food in the air which made his mouth water. He saw Kono, Chin and Grace by the kitchen, confetti still drifting through the air where they threw it.

Grace ran across the room and slammed into Danny. He felt his breath forced out of him as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. “Were you surprised, Danno? Do you like it?” She said so fast that Danny had to take a few seconds to process what she said. 

He looked around the room a second time and cleared his throat. “Well, um, it’s different.” He said carefully.

He watched his daughter’s bottom lip extend out in a pout. Then her eyes looked to Steve who was standing next to him. “I told you Danno doesn’t like surprises. He’s always complains about them being dumb.”

Danny choked while the others tried to stifle their laughter. He knelt down to Grace’s level and gently held her hands. “Monkey, I like it. It is very nice and I bet you were the one behind all of these beautiful decorations.”

She grinned and hugged him tight. “Thanks, Danno.”

He kissed her and stood when she let go. Steve’s arm slung around his shoulders. “Well, partner, how about some cake?”

Before Danny could speak, Kono came into the room holding a good sized cake with a sparkler candle in the middle. They started to sing happy birthday as she walked closer. Suddenly, Kamekona’s cryptic warning popped into his head. He slid out from underneath Steve’s arm and took a couple steps to his right.

At the end of the song, Kono tripped over the rug on the floor and she fell forward. The cake in her hands went flying forward.

It splattered all over Steve. Danny burst out laughing, glad that he actually listened to Kamekona’s crazy warnings. His partner ran a hand down his face, looked at his hand, then licked a finger. “This is really good.”

Kono had a very sad look on her face. “I spent hours on that cake.” She pouted.

Danny pulled her up from the floor and hugged her. “It was a beautiful cake. Even though it’s now all over an animal.”

“Hey!” Steve protested.

Grace grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. “Come on, Danno. Let’s go eat. I made Grandma’s lasagna just like you taught me.” She announced proudly.

He laughed and followed her to the kitchen while he heard Steve say he was going to go clean up real quick. He turned to watch Steve head upstairs, taking a moment to imagine himself joining his partner. Then he was pulled once more into the kitchen.

~S~

It was late when the cousins finally left for the night. Danny had laid Grace down on the couch when she fell asleep against her father. Now it was just the two of them sitting on the beach with just the stars to keep them company. Danny had returned with two new fresh beers and they clinked the bottles together in a toast.

The evening had been fun. They had eaten a wonderful cooked meal, played card games, watched some movies and of course went swimming. Steve had made sure Grace had found Danny’s swim trunks before being brought over. When Chin had suggested Kono picking up Grace, she had already been at Steve’s house, decorating for the party.

“So, you had this whole thing planned, huh?” Danny’s question brought Steve out of his thoughts. He grinned at his small partner, admiring how the silver light from the moon shined on his blonde hair.

“What if I did?” He replied smugly.

Danny let out a disapproving sound. “Jerk.” There were a few moments of silence. “Thank you, Steve. I haven’t had anything like this in a long time.”

He turned to face Danny. “Really? When was the last time you celebrated your birthday? I imagine you were popular back East.”

A long silence followed. He watched as Danny took a long drink from his bottle, staring at the waves. A longing and sadness filled his blue eyes that Steve had never seen before. Danny swallowed a few times before he finally spoke. “It’s been a few years. Before Rachel…” He took a deep steadying breath and cleared his throat. He blinked fiercely but Steve could just see the twinkle in his eye that could only be tears. “Before Rachel died.” He finally croaked out.

Steve felt guilt fill his chest. He hadn’t meant to upset him. “Oh, man, I’m so sorry, Danny. That, um, that was insensitive of me.”

Danny waved a hand at him as if to brush his apology off. “It’s ok. I haven’t really talked about it. Neither me or Grace talk about it really. It’s in the past...That’s where it should stay.”

He nodded and then he stood up. He faced Danny and really looked at his face. It seemed to draw him in and he couldn’t resist it. He held out a hand which Danny took, confusion written all over his face. Steve pulled him up and gently took the bottle Danny was holding to place it on the small table in between the two chairs. He placed his own on the table as well before turning back to Danny. 

“Danny. There’s something I need to tell you.” He didn’t realize he had spoken until he heard his own words echo in his ears. He swallowed nervously, not sure how to back track.

“Ok.” Danny said, also unsure on what was happening.

Steve considered abandoning what he was about to do, but if he chickened out now, he would never say it. He knew from the moment he had met Danny that they were meant to be together. Not only as work partners, but as lovers. He had been falling in love with Danny right from the start.

Liking men wasn’t anything new to him. He had experimented in high school before his dad had sent him off to the mainland to military school. Once he entered the Navy, he had dated women just to avoid getting discharged because of his sexuality. Now that DADT was disbanded, he was free to love whoever he wanted without fear of repercussions. Danny had been the only person that he felt incredibly lonely if his partner wasn’t nearby. He had dated others in the past and became very close to Lieutenant Catherine Rollins of Navy Intelligence, but his heart had never been truly hers. Not like the way Danny had managed to completely capture it without even knowing it. He needed Danny in his life just like he needed the air to breathe. He hated talking about his feelings, but if he wanted Danny more in his life, he had to get over his insecurities and speak.

He licked his dry lips nervously and his stomach spasmed in response to his nerves. He took a deep breath, feeling sweat beginning to form all over his body. “Danny,” He started to say. Big deep blue eyes locked onto his and he could see how vibrant of a blue they were. Looking closer, he could have sworn that something physically swirled in the irises. He mentally shook himself out of his reverie. 

“Danny, I-I-I like you, more than I have ever liked anyone.”

His partner smiled. “I like you too, Steve. We make a good team.”

He immediately shook his head. “No, that’s not it. Well, I mean not entirely.” He stumbled over his words and he winced at it. But he forged ahead. “I mean, I have fallen for you. Hard. I need you near me everyday. I want us to be more than just friends and partners.”

While he had spoken, he watched Danny’s eyes widen as he gave his proclamation. He felt his heart sink into his stomach. What had he been thinking? Danny wouldn’t want anything to do with him now. Probably bail out of 5-0 as soon as he could.

“Yo, Steve. Babe!” Danny’s loud voice was like a shock to his system. He focused back onto his partner. He had feared to see anger or disgust, but when he finally looked at Danny, there was nothing but concern and worry on his face. He felt a small hand touch his right cheek. “Babe, listen to me. What ever you are thinking, it’s not true, ok?” 

“I’m sorry.” He stepped away from Danny, turning his back on him. “Just forget what I said. I’m drunk.” He forced a laugh.

There was a sigh behind him. “Steve, you’re not drunk. You’ve only had four beers all night. I know you can take more than that.” Steve felt his arm get grabbed and he was pulled back around. “Babe, I think you’re jumping to conclusions.” Before Steve could protest, there were lips on his his and he felt himself melt into that kiss.

The world seemed to stop and everything felt perfect. All of his senses were on Danny and he couldn’t believe that this was happening.

After an eternity, they pulled back, pressing foreheads together as they drew in air into their starving lungs. “Steve, you’re not the only one who has feelings. I admit that I have fallen for you too. It’s not just you, babe.” 

Those words felt like the best tasting water in the middle of the desert. He smiled and couldn’t help but indulge in another kiss. “That is the best thing I’ve heard.” Danny smiled, a true carefree smile that lit up his entire face. He pulled Danny close. “Stay the night?”

“Sure, babe. Besides, I don’t think I’m sober enough to drive.” Danny laughed. Steve merely smiled and dragged Danny to the house. He looked forward to the days ahead.


	9. Happiness and Tragedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny experiences happiness once again and an encounter changes everything.
> 
> Things are gearing up. I'm so excited to hear y'all's ideas, guesses and questions. Y'all are amazing. Enjoy!

To say that Danny was happy, was an understatement. He was practically floating off the ground with happiness. He had never thought he would have felt this way again. He always assumed that if he did, he would feel guilty after losing Rachel. But he hasn’t felt any kind of guilt since hooking up with Steve.

It has been a few months since they started dating and so far everything has been running smoothly. No one from the council has come by or bothered him in that time, which he found as odd. It made him slightly nervous that he hasn’t had any contact with them. He may be paranoid but he felt like he was being watched.

He rolled over onto his side and punched his pillow in frustration. Yes, he felt happy but his brain was still stuck on what the council was planning. 

He felt the bed behind dip and warm arms slid around his waist and under his shoulder, drawing him back into a well muscled chest. Kisses were placed along his neck and cheek. He couldn’t help but smile at the sweetness of the act.

“Time to wake up, Danno.” Steve said next to his ear. His partner nuzzled his cheek.

Danny smiled and turned chest enough to give a kiss of his own. Steve groaned in appreciation. “I could lie here all day with you.” 

“That would be nice, but I seem to recall a little girl who needs to get ready for school.” 

He sighed in disappointment. “Indeed.” He suddenly realized that Steve’s hair was wet. “How was your swim to Australia and back?’ 

Steve laughed. “It was good. Now, come on. Time to get up.” With that, his partner rolled away and off the bed. He bounded into the bathroom and started the shower.

Danny sighed and forced himself out of the comfy bed that he has slept more in than his own over the last several weeks. So far, Grace hasn’t seemed to mind the fact that they spent more time at Steve’s place than their own home.

He heard Steve step into the shower and he took the chance to check the wards he had placed. Steve had gone out one evening and Danny had taken the opportunity to set up solid magical wards on the house. If they were going to spend a lot of time here, he had to be sure they were well protected from all kinds of potential harm.

A quick glance showed that they were holding strong and so far nothing seems to have triggered any of the defenses during the night. Satisfied, he turned his focus to getting ready for the day.

~S~

Danny had just dropped Grace off at school when his phone rang. It was Steve letting him know that they caught a case. He drove over to the location that he was sent. He pulled up to a warehouse next to the docks.

He got out and met the cousins as they too were walking towards the building. “Let me ask this. Why are most crimes at a freakin’ warehouse? Can’t these guys be more original?”

The cousins laughed at his outburst. “Don’t know, brah. I assume because it has a large space and mostly private.” Chin answered.

Danny nodded and glanced at the large styrofoam cup that Kono was drinking. “Let me guess, breakfast?”

Kono nodded. “Yeah. I was in the middle of heating it when Steve called.”

“Ah, I see. Did either one of you scent anything?”

The cousins fell quiet for a few moments even though they were still walking. “I got nothing.” Kono said. Vampire’s smells were strong but not as strong as a werewolf.

Chin grimaced. “I do. Smells like something supernatural was going on here. Very recent.” 

Danny nodded and gritted his teeth. “Great. Of course, the same day that Steve is with us.”

The three of them have conducted secret raids on criminal activity of supernatural nature over the last several months. Types of people that would be better if the public as well as law enforcement didn’t know anything about them. It definitely has been harder for Danny to sneak out to help the cousins with these raids, but he manages.

They reach the open dock doors and step under the crime scene tape that HPD set up. Steve was already poking around the scene like an impatient child. Duke Lukela was following Steve around with Max nearby checking the three bodies that Danny could see.

“There you are. What took you guys so long?” Steve asked as soon as he saw them.

Danny smirked. “Well, unlike you, babe, we are civilized drivers and prefer to arrive in one piece.” The cousins chuckled at his statement.

Steve sighed and turned to Max. “Max, what ya got?”

The quirky little Medical Examiner looked up at them. “Good morning, Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams, Detective Kelly, and Officer Kalakaua.”

“Morning, buddy. Uh, anything out of the ordinary?” Danny asked impatiently.

Max nodded. “Of course. On preliminary exam, it appears each of these victims had their throats cut open. COD appears to be significant blood loss, but I will know for sure once I complete the autopsy. TOD was approximately six to eight hours ago.”

Danny swept his gaze around the area while Max spoke, trying to see if anything looked out of the ordinary. In the area of light, there didn’t seem to be anything. However, in the darkness of the warehouse there could be something.

Suddenly, movement in the back of the warehouse caught his attention. “HEY! FREEZE!” He yelled as he bolted towards where he saw the movement. He heard his team right behind, reacting without question. 

He reached the back wall being guided by the sunlight that was reflecting off of the concrete. He could just make out an outline of a door and he plunged through it without a second thought. 

As soon as he passed through the doorway, he was met with complete darkness. He jerked himself to a stop, his breath coming out fast and loud. It made it difficult to hear anything.

“Danny!” Steve’s voice was loud in the quiet room and he heard his partner stop just behind him. Two other set of footsteps informed him of the cousins following. He turned and looked at his team. Steve was the only one that would be vulnerable if it had anything to do with the supernatural. 

“Chin, Kono, take the left. I’ll take the right.” He ordered. The cousins nodded, understanding in their eyes. “Steve, stay here and guard the entrance.” He would rather that Steve leave but he knew that his partner would not leave no matter what. He just had to take his chances.

“No, Danny, I’m going with you. Someone needs to watch your back.” Steve protested.

He stepped close to Steve and placed a hand in the center of his chest. “Babe, I know you are concerned, but if we don’t have this spot covered, we could lose him. Please, stay here.” He waited to be sure Steve understood and then he gestured to the cousins as he took off.

He whispered a spell and his eyes dilated to that of a cat. The world became clear and he could see every detail and edges everywhere. He was currently going between full palates of 55 gallon barrels on either side of him. They were double stacked, so there was no way he would be able to to see over them.

Danny held his gun in front of him in both hands. He slowly and as quietly as he could walked down the aisle. He couldn’t hear anything except his own footsteps. 

He reached the end and whipped around the corner to his left to see if anyone was there. But as soon as he turned, his arms were hit on top, forcing him to drop his gun. He jumped back with his arms up to protect his face. In the few seconds that followed, he was able to see his attacker.

The person was female, approximately six feet, dark tan skin, thin but well defined muscles and her eyes were a bright golden orange yellow color. She hissed at him and he could see elongated fangs. He felt his eyes widen at the sudden realization of what he was facing. A freakin’ vampire!

He ducked as she swung an arm at him then he turned it into a forward roll. He came up into a crouch and let out a quick sweeping kick with his left foot, tripping her. She stumbled, but kept her balance. He pushed off his feet and tackled her to the ground by her legs. 

After that, it was like trying to fight against a feral cat. She hissed and she tried to claw him everywhere that she could reach. He struggled to keep up his defenses with every attack. He felt the sleeves of his shirt get completely shredded.

Then there was an opening and he took it.

He raised an open hand to her chest and shouted, “Forza indietro!” He felt energy flow out of his arm and slam into her chest. She screamed as she flew backwards, slamming into the stack of barrels several feet away. She grunted as she fell to the ground. 

Danny took in a few deep breaths and groaned as he stood up and hurried over to her. He cautiously knelt to feel her neck when she suddenly snapped up and racked claws across his chest. He instinctively threw his weight back, but not in time as he felt pain flare across his chest, making it hard to breathe.

He fell onto his back and tried to force air into his now starving lungs. He blinked through bleary eyes and saw the vampire standing over him. She raised a claw and hissed. “Goodnight, Wizard.” Then she swung her hand downward.

Suddenly, she was tackled from the side. Danny could hear the struggle not far from him. He dug up the last bit of energy from somewhere and rolled onto his side. He was surprised to see Steve wrestling with her.

“Steve.” He tried to call out, but he still didn’t have enough air into his lungs to speak no louder than a whisper. His partner didn’t stand a chance against something like that. They needed back up.

Looking around, he saw a monkey wrench within reach. Grunting against the pain, he reached over and grabbed it. Then he pulled himself as fast as he could to the nearest barrel. Once he reached it, he banged as hard and as loud as he could.

He watched through his darkening vision the struggle and felt panic flare in his chest when the vampire threw Steve against a shelf that was up against the wall. Steve slid down the wall and laid there stunned. She let out a shrill laugh as she staggered towards him. “You smell so delicious, human. I’ll make sure you feel so good before you die.”

Danny couldn’t let that happen. He tried to push himself up, but the pain in his chest turned into white fire. He cried out and he lost self awareness for several long seconds. When he became aware again, he looked back over and saw the vampire crouched close to Steve’s neck. His partner still was dazed.

“Hey, fangs, back away now.” Kono’s hissing voice came from behind him. 

The vampire stood quickly and smiled. “Well, come on, then. I can take you.”

“Maybe. But I’m sure your odds against one vampire and one werewolf don’t look as good.” Kono’s smug voice made him relax in relief. 

The vampire’s smile vanished and she hissed. A rumbling growl answered her hiss. She turned and was immediately tackled to the ground by a large black wolf, its teeth gripped around her arm. Kono dived in, her silver eyes glinting and fangs bared. She immediately plunged a piece of sharp wood into her chest, right where the heart was located. She screamed for a few seconds before she fell silent. She fell limp and didn’t move again.

Danny sighed in relief and he let himself give in to the pain. Now that he knew they were safe, he welcomed the darkness of oblivion.

~S~

Several Minutes Earlier

Steve watched anxiously as the cousins and Danny split off and disappeared into the darkness. He pulled his pistol out of his holster and listened as hard as he could. For a minute, there was nothing but stifling silence.

Then he heard a clatter followed by a loud bang. It sounded like it came from the direction that Danny went. He flicked his light that was attached to his pistol and followed where his partner went. Now that he had found the love of his life, he didn’t even want to think about losing him. He moved as quickly as possible, hating every sound that he could hear.

His heart felt like it stopped when he heard the gut wrenching cry from his partner. He sped up his pace and when he finally rounded the last corner, he froze at what he saw.

Danny laid on the ground on his back, his sleeves shredded and forearms bloody. His chest had huge gashes and were bleeding profusely. He was moving sluggishly and seemed to be mostly unconscious. A female was standing over him, a hand poised to strike. The hand seemed to have sharp claws and they were dripping with a dark liquid. His guess was blood and that horrified him.

“Goodnight, Wizard.” He heard her voice. It sounded strange like a vocal scrambler was changing her voice without any equipment. He didn’t know what was going on, but he had to stop her.

He didn’t want to accidentally shoot Danny so he tackled the girl instead. Once on the ground, he found out how strong she really was. He was using all of his strength just to make sure she didn’t overtake him. He was already beginning to tire from all of the blocks and counter strikes.

Then she managed to grab him by the back of his shirt and threw him against a hard shelf. He felt himself get stunned as he hit and he couldn’t help but let himself fall to the ground. He knew he was still in danger and he tried to pull his thoughts back together. He mentally screamed at his body to get up and move, but they wouldn’t respond.

He vaguely heard another voice, some hisses like a snake and a growl that sounded like a dog. There was some more noise, a scream and then silence. He shook his head and finally his brain came back online. He blinked and looked around.

A black dog stood nearby, panting. Kono stood over the girl, blood covered her hand and her eyes were changing back to her normal brown color. He turned to his left and saw Danny still on the ground. Panic flared and adrenaline helped the rest of his sluggishness to recede.

“Danny!” He yelled as he leapt forward. He carefully cradled Danny to his chest and he checked his pulse. It was way too fast and he could see the wounds on his chest still bleeding heavily. “No, no, no. Danny, baby, stay with me.” He felt tears fill his eyes and he gently slapped Danny’s cheek, hoping to shock him back to consciousness. He was disappointed when nothing happened. “Come on, Danno, wake up.” He felt his throat tighten in distress. He couldn’t bear to lose him now.

A gentle hand touched his shoulder. “Steve. Steve, listen to me.” He looked up and saw Kono crouched next to him. “I can help, but you have to give me Danny.” He hesitated. If he let go, Danny might die. “Boss, if you don’t let me help, he will die. I can hear his heart slowing.” He was surprised at that information and checked Danny’s pulse. Sure enough, it was beginning to slow. He didn’t have much of a choice.

Reluctantly, he nodded and allowed Kono to pull Danny to the floor. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. A quick look showed it was Chin. “She’s got this, brah. It will be strange, but she will save him.” He nodded and looked to watch Kono.

She yanked open Danny’s shirt to gain access to his wounds. Then to his utter shock, she leaned down and began to lick the wounds. He wasn’t understanding what was happening.

“Steve, I know you are in shock, but listen carefully. Kono is a vampire and by doing this, she is helping the blood clot. This will seal the wounds and keep him from bleeding out. You have to trust her.” Chin reassured.

After several long minutes, Kono stopped and checked Danny’s pulse. She leaned an ear close to his chest and listened. Another few moments and she nodded, satisfied. “He’s stable and his breathing has returned to normal.”

He couldn’t wait much longer and grabbed Danny up to hug him close. “He needs a hospital.”

“No. He’ll be ok. He just needs some rest and he should be able to heal fine.” Chin said. Then he gently pulled on Steve’s arm. “Come on, let’s get you two home.”

It took some strategic planning and distraction from Kono to get Danny in the car. Then they headed to Steve's house.

Chin helped Steve carry Danny upstairs to their bedroom. They carefully laid him down and Steve turned to Kono. “Go downstairs and get a bowl of water and a rag.” She nodded and quickly left the room. “Chin, in the middle drawer of the dresser, there should be a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that are Danny’s.” 

While the older of the cousins rifled through the drawer, Steve started undressing his partner. He threw the shredded clothes into a pile on the floor, making a mental note to throw them away later.

Kono returned with the water at the same time Chin tossed some clothes on the bed. Kono was thoughtful enough to bring several rags and between the three of them got Danny mostly clean. Chin and Steve dressed him in the clean clothes and they all sat down in relief.

A groan drew Steve’s attention to see Danny beginning to come to. “Danny? Can you hear me?”

His partner coughed weakly and moaned in pain as he gently placed a hand on his chest. After a minute, he slowly nodded.

Before Steve could say anything else, Chin moved closer. “Danny, listen to me carefully. You’ve been injured by a vampire. Kono stopped the bleeding but you need to heal yourself before infection sets in.”

Steve watched as Danny nodded and weakly pointed towards the closet. “Top right, small black bag. Bring it here.” Kono jumped up and got the requested item. She placed it close to Danny. He tried to sit up but he was too weak to get no more than an inch. “Inside, there should be a small brown leather bag. Find the turquoise crystal and hand it to me.”

Chin opened the bag and Steve could see all sorts of things he had never seen. A big leather bound book dropped onto the bed, followed by a ball of string, chalk, and some other miscellaneous items. Eventually, Chin produced the brown bag, then he handed over the requested crystal to Danny. 

Danny weakly grasped it in his fingers and pressed it against his chest. He spoke some words in a language that Steve didn’t know except that it sounded European. A bright light from the crystal appeared, blinding Steve and he was forced to close his eyes. 

Just as quickly as it flared, the light died out. He opened his eyes and saw the crystal was now completely clear. But the most shocking part was the injuries along Danny’s chest and arms were completely healed. All that remained were some scars.

“Thanks, buddy.” Danny whispered and then promptly passed back out.

“Ok, he should be fine now. All he needs is some sleep.” Chin said as he stood and gestured for Kono to leave. The cousins started to head out.

“Hold it.” Steve stood up and faced them. “I need some answers. What the hell happened? Who was that woman at the warehouse? What did Danny just do?” He demanded. He couldn’t understand anything that has happened in the last hour. Since Danny was out of commission for the time being, the cousins were the next best thing to help understand what has happened.

Chin nodded. “That’s fair. I suggest we take this downstairs and get some beer. This is going to be a long conversation.”

The cousins left the room. Steve checked Danny one more time to ensure that he was not in pain and was truly resting. He pulled the covers over him before he left the room.

By the time he made it downstairs, Kono and Chin had grabbed some water, beer and small snacks to munch on. “Ok.” He said as he sat down in his recliner. “Start talking.”

Chin and Kono sat on the couch. Kono passed out the beer as Chin took a deep breath. “How much do you know about the supernatural?”

Steve shrugged. “As much as anyone. It’s all fiction. What does this have to do with anything?”

The cousins looked at each other briefly. Chin leaned forward, looking him in the eyes. “It has everything to do with this.”


End file.
